Chicago Wedding Tips- How to Feel Confident in Your Wedding Photos!

June 6, 2018

Your Wedding Day is full of anticipation and excitement, and a WHOLE bunch of nerves! It’s a day you’ve been planning for months, and you want to make sure that EVERY plan works out perfectly, especially your photos!

I’m here to tell you that your Wedding Photos can be fun, gorgeous, and turn out just how you envision them with a few small tricks that I’ve learned along the way! This is my first in my series of Chicago Wedding Tips, and definitely a great starting place for those effortless photos you’re dreaming of!

How to Feel Confident in Your Wedding Photos

Hire a Photographer You Actually Enjoy

This might seem silly, but it is SO important! Yes, you should absolutely love their work, but truth bomb: you’re going to spend more time with your Photographer on your Wedding Day than with your fiancé! I know. I’ll let that sink in for a second.

The last thing you need on your Big Day is a Photographer that you don’t like. That’s a HUGE confidence killer. So, Find someone who is friendly and who you can see yourself hanging out with for the some of the most exciting 8-12 hours of your life! You’ll feel more confident in your photos before you even begin!

Have Your Engagement Session with the SAME Photographer

Your Engagement session isn’t just for your family and friends to know that you got engaged! Sure, they’re great photos for your save-the-dates and that ever-coveted Facebook Profile image, but ultimately, your Engagement Session is an essential time to work with your Photographer.

During your Engagement Session, you and your Photographer will get to know each other a little better, you’ll strike up more conversations, and you’ll get a chance to see how they operate! Learning a Photographer’s nuances, phrases, and how they give directions can really help you on the BIG DAY, and also help your images turn out beautifully.

When I’m photographing couples during their Engagement Session, I tell them that this is like a photo rehearsal! Most of the poses will be similar, the directions I give, the little things that I say… so that on their Wedding Day they won’t have to ask “What do you mean?” or “Is this right?” or “What do I do with my hands?” because they already know! When the moment comes and they’re all dressed up, they’re basically pros. That means that they can approach their Wedding Photos with confidence from the get-go!

Know Your Timeline

Whether it’s you or your closest Type A friend, knowing your timeline is KEY! Of course, the Wedding won’t start without you, BUT running late on your hair and makeup, or having your family pose you for 8,000 cell phone photos (….just no, family….) will come at a cost to the time your Photographer has to create the perfect moments!

When you have a good sense of your schedule, and leave enough time for a relaxed session after the “I do’s,” you will feel MUCH more at ease, much less nervous, and definitely have more fun!

Splurge on Professionals

“I can just do my own hair and makeup” is a line a hear often. There is absolutely nothing wrong with glamming up all by yourself. BUT…

There’s a certain feeling of confidence that comes over you when you let yourself get pampered! When your hair and makeup is done by a professional Wedding Day artist, and you’ve gotten to sit in a chair and be treated like a celebrity, you’re going to FEEL it! No matter if you’re a natural a-la Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, or a more elaborate look, trust me; you will RESONATE confidence in your photos!

Finally, if you’re STILL feeling like the nerves are setting in and you aren’t sure what to do with yourself….

Focus on Your Soulmate

When it all boils down, this day is about YOU! Your bond, your love, and your new life together. So, when you’re feeling less than confident, or anxious, or nervous, just stop. Look into their eyes, smile at one another, and think about how happy you are in that one moment.

Phone: (719) 321-7738

Email: Jenn@JennMariePhotography.net

Hello lovely! I’m Jenn, Chicago and Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer and Toddler Mom! My goal in life is to drink coffee and take photos of people who love each other, and I can say that I am LIVING THE DREAM!

Thank you for reading, friends! Want to stay up to date on my top Tips and Tricks and Wedding Inspo? Sign up for my Email List to the Right and be the first to see all of my new content!

Engaged? Looking for your perfect Wedding Photographer? I’d love to take you out to lunch and talk about your perfect day! Send me a message or give me a call! My phone is always on, and sometimes you’ll get to talk to my two-year-old, but I love a good surprise chat!